Britain’s government is confident its Covid-19 vaccination programme is secure after receiving guarantees from the European Union, trade minister Liz Truss said on Sunday, trying to smooth over a row about vaccine supplies.

Just a month after Britain completed its journey out of the EU’s orbit, ties with Brussels were severely tested on Friday when the bloc’s plan for export controls on vaccines included triggering an emergency clause in the earlier Brexit deals.

The move, which was quickly reversed, united Britain’s politicians in criticism of the EU’s threat to create a border it has long said it wanted to avoid between the British province of Northern Ireland and EU member Ireland.